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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23551096">Midwinter</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Charlie9646/pseuds/Charlie9646'>Charlie9646</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Breathplay, Enemies to Lovers, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, M/M, Mentions of addiction, OhYesWeKenz, Post War, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Remus Lupin Lives, Severus Snape Lives, Smut</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 17:15:36</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,664</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23551096</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Charlie9646/pseuds/Charlie9646</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>This was supposed to be a simple drabble. I guess am far too wordy for that. </p><p>Remus and Severus once enemies - now find comfort in each other.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Remus Lupin/Severus Snape</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>35</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Camp NaNo - April 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Midwinter</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>”In the bleakest of times, you can find a reason to fight on.”</p><p> </p><p>Severus Snape had never been one to grow attached to people, easily. A part of his brain didn't seem to understand why others felt the need to do so. In his strong opinion, the only thing people we're good at was hurting him. His father had ground that into him with a belt, his mother with her lack of care for him, Lily, with her lack of understanding, and Lucius by using him.</p><p> </p><p>Friends, lovers and family were for other people. People who had not yet had their ability to look on the bright side stolen from them by the wheels of time. Or that was how he felt into Remus Lupin came back into his life. Severus didn’t want to like the man, let alone grow to love him, but he did. There was something about the werewolf that felt right, right in his very soul.</p><p> </p><p>They were both like two ships lost at sea in the storm that was called life. Severus and Remus had both lost the people that they cared for the most. Lily, no matter how their friendship had ended - had taken a piece of the potion master’s heart along with her. They were not lovers, and he didn't want that. She was a woman, and he was gay. But, she was like a sister, a friend, like family. Lily Evans for Severus felt like home and understanding - until she didn't, Lily decided that she agreed with all the rest.</p><p> </p><p>That being gay, a man loving another man was wrong. It wasn't unexpected with her upbringing, Anglican of all things. Zealous was the best way to describe the Evans family. They were good people; no one could doubt that. They loved their daughter despite being a witch; they accepted magic. Though not unlike the pureblood's of the culture their daughter was becoming a part of, they believed strongly relationships we're supposed to be between one man and one woman - nothing more and nothing less.</p><p> </p><p>Remus handed Severus his cup of tea; he sat down next to his lover with his own cup.</p><p> </p><p>”Sickle for your thoughts?” His left hand snaked up his companion’s thigh, teasing him and trying to distract Severus from his paperwork. ”Or maybe something more?”</p><p> </p><p>”I was lost in the thought of what today is.” Severus softly said, and then took a sip of his own tea. ”I miss her. I sometimes even think I miss them, all of them. I sometimes wonder if we could all moved on past our youth and the foolishness that it was.”</p><p> </p><p>”Like we have, Sev?” Remus asked, ”I think we could of, together. James and Sirius were trying to get her to listen, trying to get her to understand about me. Sometimes people just need time to process things they don't understand.”</p><p> </p><p>”I love you, Lupin.”</p><p> </p><p>”And I love you, ” said the wolf. ”Now drink your tea before it gets cold. Unless you would rather do something else? Work can wait, it is Christmas Eve after all.”</p><p> </p><p>Severus felt himself smiling at the other man. It still felt rather strange to do that all things considered, but he was safe. They were safe in this quiet cabin deep in the woods where no one could find them unless they wanted them to. Remus wasn't the pushy type - not by far, he had gotten more confident in his opinions as time had passed.</p><p> </p><p>The time was now the midwinter of their lives - a time to heal and process it all, a chance to start anew - together. Some saw winter as a time of death, but Severus knew that everything beautiful and wonderful about spring was simply under the surface waiting to break free.</p><p> </p><p>Tomorrow on Christmas of all days, they would start making their way towards spring. Remus had ground him down in allowing Potter and his family to visit, though mostly it was Severus enjoyed the sight of the wolf’s pleading. He did beg so beautifully, though it was far better when he was pleading for other things.</p><p> </p><p>Potter could wait till tomorrow, and work could wait for another day. Both of their cups we're now empty, and they still had a long night ahead. Remus’ mischievous hand was now brushing his cock through his trouser’s.</p><p> </p><p>”Keep doing that, and you might end regretting it Lupin, ” Severus snarled without too might bite to his voice. He wanted Remus to continue, and he wanted it to go much further than a few brushes of a hand. The idea of the coming act made him feel like there was a fire in his veins, that it was licking his skin.</p><p> </p><p>“Ever thought that’s what I want, Sevy?” Remus purred, undoing the zipper of the other man’s trousers. “I think this is my second favourite bloody part of you.” He snaked his hand into Severus’ pants and wrapped his around the other man’s cock.</p><p> </p><p>“Why is that?” He hissed and raised an eyebrow, “And what’s your favourite part of me?”</p><p> </p><p>”Your heart and you know why I love my second favourite thing.”</p><p> </p><p>”My heart?” Severus questioned him, ”Lupin I think you have lost your mind. Did you hit your head or something?”</p><p> </p><p>Remus pulled the man he loved close and kissed him, his fingers knotting into the hair at Severus’s neck. They pulled away from each other.</p><p> </p><p>”I love you, you fool, my pain in the arse, bloody smart as a whip fool. And you love me. You have the capacity to love, and when you do love it's with every single shard of what makes you, you.” He leaned his head on Severus’s chest. ”I want my Christmas present early, Sev, take me to bed.”</p><p> </p><p>The two men were worn down by the sands of time. They had lived a lifetime apart, and known each other for one as well. But, here in this instant, with the person who they least would have expected to - they found peace.</p><p> </p><p>Jumpers pulled off quickly, half taken off trousers thrown off, pants joining them. Severus dug out the lube and condom and set them on the bed. He kissed the other man, enjoying the taste of his lips. He tasted like tea and the cigarettes he had earlier. Remus laid down on the bed that they shared.</p><p> </p><p>”Come here, Sev; I want to touch you.” He pulled the other man down and pulled him close. Severus kissed Remus again and wrapped his fingers around both their cocks.The wolf moaned, throwing back his head and arching his back.</p><p> </p><p>”I want to know what my favourite and my second favourite part of you is?” Severus muttered into Remus’s ear. ”My favourite part of you is your willingness to forgive people, your willingness to forgive me. And second is that ass of yours.”</p><p> </p><p>Tan legs spread wide as Remus started to prepare himself feet flat on the bed. Severus tore open the condom package, placing it on his cock, and putting the lube on it. Severus entered him; they lost themselves together. In all that it was. In the feeling on skin on skin, calloused fingers brushing against hips.</p><p> </p><p>They were both close, Severus could feel it in his belly, but it was mostly the little cries Remus was making, even though he tried to bite on his lip to stifle them, his golden-brown eyes staring at his lover.</p><p> </p><p>Severus knew what the man needed to be able to come. Everyone had their little quirks, and this was Lupin’s thing. He wrapped his hand around his lover’s throat. Tightening down just enough that he was sure Remus could feel it, but not enough actually to hurt the man, as much as Lupin wished he would.</p><p> </p><p>They both carried their own battle scars from the war - some happened to be deeper than others, but they both understood guilt all too well. That was why they hid away. That was why they were here. Everyone had their own demons. After years of both them feeding theirs, it was time to let them finally die.</p><p> </p><p>Together they would heal. Together they would find something that helped them join the rest of the wizarding world in their spring.</p><p> </p><p>”Come for me, Lupin, that's it pet come for me. Drag me along with you.”</p><p> </p><p>For once, Remus listened to him. Severus pulled out vanishing the condom and helping the other man into bed, tucking him in. He pulled on his black dressing gown and went out to smoke and possibly read in the sitting room. His own nightmares made sleep never come easy, so why should he waste the night staring at the wall?</p><p> </p><p>Sleeping potions weren't an option anymore.He had a rather horrible addiction them during the war. Remus made him promise never to use them again, after the time Severus ended up in the hospital wing due to the withdraws from them. Shivering, shaking and vomiting all over himself was not something Severus had any desire to repeat,but mostly he couldn't bear to see that look on Lupin’s face ever again. Fear, real and true concern about what was happening to him.</p><p> </p><p>Oddly enough, that was the moment he decided he wanted to spend the rest of his life with the man. That it wasn't just hate sex. That's why he was letting the brat visit them. Severus hoped that Potter wouldn't come too early, but it was Potter after all and he likely would.</p><p> </p><p>He sat in his chair and lit his cigarette as the clock strikes midnight. Merry Christmas, Severus thought, maybe this year together he and Remus could leave this cycle of life in their own midwinter and join the rest of the wizarding world in their beautiful spring.</p><p> </p><p>The spring that came from the fall of the Dark Lord. For them, though mostly it would be about learning to let go and accept the things that they could not change.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
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